DC Prime: Faces of Evil
by DC Prime Universe
Summary: Part of the DC Prime Universe: An anthology series detailing the exploits of the DC universes most (in)famous villains ranging from A listers such as Lex Luthor & the Joker to more obscure villains like Weather Wizard & Clock King. The first issue details the origin of the Atomic Skull.
1. Chapter 1

**Faces of Evil #1: Atomic Skull**

**Written by: Jake Bat**

* * *

**Note: _Italics _= Narration, Normal Text = Normal Text**

It's a nice sunny day in nice sunny Metropolis even in the First National State Bank where a teller named Stefanie just got done saying her usual "have a good day sir" to some random male customer like every other day like every other teller.

At that moment she turns and says as usual

"Hello sir….."

She looks up.

"How are you're…"

She sees a frightening face or the lack of a face. She sees a large creature with a big coat covering it on towering her. At that moment a green fire burns the entire coat. Then a skull seemingly hovering in the air as it's surrounded by green flames before slowly looking down seeing a large metal-like suit, seemingly his body before looking up again seeing the skull looming down on here.

**Stefanie: **"What on Earth?"

The creature then backups a few feet and turns around making his hand into finger-gun before putting his thumb up. The creature's fire brightens to get people's attention before the creature, named Atomic Skull speaks.

**Atomic Skull:** Alright everyone! I, Metropolis' best super villain demands your money now! So give it up before any gets hurt.

He then hears a security guard pull out his gun and quickly turns around hitting his index finger with his thumb before lifting his arm in the air as a small ball of green fire is shot at the guard who drops his gun out of fear and hits the floor while the ball of fire hits the entrance.

He then walks over to him and shoots another ball of fire destroying the gun.

**Atomic Skull**: "Naughty, naughty!"

Atomic Skull puts his hands together to make a large finger-gun but he turns around and points it at the tellers.

**Atomic Skull:** Alright now I want to load up all that money into some bags.

The tellers quickly pull out some cash bags and load money into it.

_Yes this is working perfectly. Finally. _

Then out of nowhere he hears an all-too familiar voice.

**Superman: **Alright Atomic Skull! Give up now!

**Atomic Skull:** No! Not you! Not again!

Atomic Skull fires fire balls at Superman who lets them hit him so they don't hit anyone else.

Superman then flies towards Atomic Skull at high speed and grabs him quickly doing a one-eighty and flies him out of the bank and throws him in the air.

_I HATE SUPERMAN_

As Atomic Skull pelmets to the Earth, Superman at the last minute knees him as he's getting closer to the ground and grabs him by his ankles. He then swings him over and makes him hit the street.

**Superman:** Give up, now!

_Can't believe I use to admire this guy. Back when I was Joseph Martin. Back when I actually liked superheroes. _

Atomic Skull breaks free and at full energy fires a fire blast at Superman's chest at point-blank range sending him flying.

Atomic Skull then gets up smiling at this site.

YEARS AGO

Joseph Martin, a young geeky comic book fan and janitor at the STAR Labs Factory in Metropolis is doing his rounds cleaning up after the scientists who are currently working on a dangerous device: a gene-bomb.

_Man please be 5:00, please be 5:00, please be 5:00. _

Martin checks his watch: its 4:40.

_Dang it. _

While strolling by he sees reporters Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and a few others near the scientists conducting the gene-bomb and answering questions.

_Hey nobody's looking at me. And the floor is pretty clean. I suppose I can have a quick break. _

Martin pulls out a comic book about the Justice Guild of America his favorite comic book superhero series with his favorite characters. He stops his janitor cart in a corner and begins to read the issue enjoying it immensely.

At that moment a scientist named Adams comes over and spots this.

**Adams:** Didn't I tell you not to read these comics during your rounds?

**Martin:** Yeah sorry I forgot.

**Adams:** Again?

Martin: Okay listen I didn't forget but the floor is basically clean so what's the problem with me reading something when my shift is almost over? Okay what if I work an extra 10-15 minutes after my shift is over to make up for it?

**Adam:** Ugh…..listen!

BOOM!

At that moment they both hear the large noise and rush over to the gene-bomb area.

There they see four men in tough-sleek armor with high-tech weaponry.

**Criminal**: Attention, we will be taking that bomb.

**Criminal 2:** And unless any of you want to die, you'll be handing it over no problems

Adams and Martin then run over only to be taken hostage by the men.

**Adams:** You can't take that you criminals!

Adams pushes one of the criminals trying to fight but the other just shoots him dead.

**Martin:** No!

Martin tries to bum rush the shooter but another one of the criminals head butts him with the butt of the gun with enough force to send him to the ground. The combination of the pistol whip and hitting the ground causing Martin's head to nearly split open.

However, what Martin doesn't see is Superman coming in and fighting the criminals, and getting Lois and the living scientists out but one of the criminals accidentally shoots the gene-bomb making it only a matter of time before it goes off.

**Criminal:** Go now!

The criminals load up on a getaway vehicle they had and quickly flee.

**Superman**: No! Ah!

Superman sees Martins body and sees that his body is slightly moving. He grabs Martin and tries to fly him out in time but not before the bomb goes off. While the gene-bomb's materials don't affect Superman they affect Martin.

Days later, Martin wakes up in another STAR Labs facility where upon he is in a green-mechanical-like suit and looks at his hands shocked to see there bone hands surrounded by green fire.

**Martin:** What the hell!?

A scientist named Emil Hamilton goes over to him.

**Dr. Hamilton:** Joseph, Joseph Martin my name is Emil Hamilton. You've been here for weeks after the incident at the old STAR Labs facility. Now when you were pistol whipped you were knocked out and a gene-bomb when off.

**Martin:** Gene-bomb!? Why were you idiots making that in the first place? Where are the men who did this to me! Where!?

**Dr. Hamilton:** Joseph, Superman found the men. Their leader is a man named Alexander Flores, a terrorist for the group Kobra.

**Martin:** I'm gonna kill him.

**Dr. Hamilton (Slightly Disturbed):** Listen Joseph, Flores is in prison and I think it be better for you not to think about revenge.

**Martin:** Okay lemme think about getting better? Can you make me normal again doc?

**Dr. Hamilton:** Listen to me Joseph; I'm not going to lie to you. I strongly doubt you'll ever look normal again so perhaps it's better for you to adjust to your appearance.

**Martin:** Appearance? How do I look? Like my face. I know my hands are messed up but.

Martin looks at a window seeing his reflection. He sees the reflection of a skull surrounded by green flames.

**Martin**: What the hell? What? What? What? No. No. No. This isn't real; this isn't oh my God WHY? WHAT THE HELL!? AH! AH! AH!

Martin out of fear and confusion knocks himself out of the bed he was on. He then looks around finding out he's in a plastic-like cell. Soon his anger and confusion rises causing the green flames to ignite louder, bigger and farther causing Dr. Hamilton to get out the cell quickly.

**Dr. Hamilton:** Joseph I'm sorry but we have to keep you in there to properly see what damage you can do to others and to control it.

**Martin:** AAAAAHHHHH! THIS ISN'T RIGHT! THOSE PEOPLE WHO KILLED ADAMS GET A FREAKING TIME TO WALK ARUOND! THAT PIECE OF CRAP KILLER HAS MORE RIGHTS THAN ME!

Martin goes mad igniting his flames to a point where the cell cover shatters. Out of blind anger he then turns around and punches the wall behind him knocking it down. He then angrily walks out of there and uses his flames to propel him in the air and flies back to Metropolis.

He soon attracts media attention when news helicopters follow him to the streets. Atomic Skull then walks around horrifying other people with his site. He walks up to a building where he tries to open the knob but his flames melt it.

**Martin:** GRAAAAAH!

Martin grabs the remainder of the door and chucks it out of his way nearly hitting civilians. He goes up in his room of the apartment building and breaks in seeing comics scattered all over when he was in a hurry to get to work that day and forgot to clean up among other things.

This causes him to shed a tear which quickly burns away. He then turns to the TV realizing he left it on. This causes him to laugh a bit before he sees what the reporter on the news is talking about.

**Reporter:** Now while we are trying to find out the creature described as an Atomic Skull's past, we have word that an armed robbery is happening at Metropolis' Jewelers Exchange where two gunmen have taken four people hostage. Police are calling in SWAT to assist.

Feeling angry and scared for the people in that situation as it reminds him of his own tragic story, Martin breaks out of his apartment and rushes towards the scene where he flies above the police and onto the front steps of the exchange walking in with the police screaming at him to stop.

Walking in Atomic Skull witnesses four people tied up in the back with two criminals armed with high-power weapons.

**Criminal #1**: What the hell!?

**Atomic Skull:** Let those people go!

The criminals look at each other before looking back at Skull.

**Criminal #2**: Screw you!

The two begin to fire but the bullets burn when they get close to Skull.

**Atomic Skull:** People like you! People like you two murderous bastards are what makes me really freaking angry!

Skull walks up to Criminal #2 who tries to back up but is grabbed by the throat by him out of anger remembering what happened to him Atomic Skull uses his tremendous strength to break the criminal's neck completely.

**Criminal #1:** Marty! Ah shit!

Criminal #1 runs out the exchange and to the police putting his hands in the air.

Atomic Skull sees this and gets out of the exchange seeing the man being handcuffed.

**Atomic Skull:** So what are you pigs gonna do!? Lock him up!? Then what he gets out after serving no time!? No punishment!? No he's gonna die! SO HE'LL NEVER GET OUT AND HURT ANYONE EVER AGAIN!

Then a booming voice comes out.

**Superman:** STOP!

Atomic Skull looks up seeing Superman.

**Atomic Skull:** Superman?

**Superman:** Listen to me Joseph. You can't kill him.

**Atomic Skull:** Why not!? I already got his buddy!

Superman makes an alarmed face.

**Superman:** Listen, I know what happened to you but it doesn't justify murder!

**Atomic Skull:** Murder!? TALKING TO ME ABOUT MURDER! Alexander Flores is serving time in prison where he gets three meals a day and gets to live while Adams is in the ground dead.

**Superman:** Flores may be alive but he's in prison. Rotting away and those three meals a day aren't necessarily delicacies.

**Atomic Skull**: Still! We put people in prison then what!? They break out and kill. Or they get out and kill. These are animals they deserve to be put down you self-righteous prick!

Atomic Skull filled with anger forms fire balls in his hands before throwing them at Superman knocking him back before using his fire as a ride over there getting on top of Superman before beating and punching him mercilessly.

Superman then grabs his wrists and head-butts him getting him off of him.

**Atomic Skull:** You know I used to think you were a hero. I even read heroes in comics for years but you know what? It's all shit. Your no-kill ways and crap. That's why your villains come back and kill and kill and kill! You let them! You're no better than them!

Atomic Skull fires an energy blast at Superman who flies up and dodges.

**Superman:** I'm not better than them? They kill, just like you, your no better than them! Admit it Martin! You killed there's no difference.

**Atomic Skull:** I kill Adolf Hitler? Does that mean I'm as bad as him?

Superman grunts and rushes at him and dodges a punch, he then moves his arm back before launching it at full force at Skull's head knocking him out.

* * *

**PRESENT DAY **

_So yeah screw these heroes. Screw them and their ideals. They labeled me a villain so you know what? May as well act like one; show them how their way fails. Maybe one day Superman will realize I don't change, I'll keep on robbing and robbing and I'll keep on killing and killing. Then I'll see how he deems himself good _

Superman then flies back up to Skull grabbing him by the neck and quickly gets him to a lake where nobody is around and thrusts him under causing him to frizzle out as the water evaporates away.

Superman hovers above him looking down thinking:

_It is so easy, so easy to make sure he never hurts anyone again. Too easy._


	2. Chapter 2

**Dead Man Walking**

**A Tale from Blackgate Penitentiary**

* * *

**10:00hrs to execution**

My name is Lyle Green, 15 years ago I tried to rob a grocery store. Little did I know that the clerk had a pump action behind the counter. It turned ugly and I ended up killing him and two other people in the crossfire. Now I'm sitting on death row, and my day with the executioner is upon me. I have no family or friends, my body will be buried in the prison cemetery and my name will be given two lines in the Gotham Gazette. I will just become another statistic.

Aaron Cash and two prison guards walked up to Green's cell.

"Stand up, place your hands through here" Cash gave the order.

Green put his hands through the cell bar and the guards handcuffed him. Once he was secured, Cash opened the cell door. The two guards grasped Lyle by the arms. Cash pumped his shotgun and stood in front of them.

"This is it son" The guard muttered into Green's eye.

The small convoy of men began to walk down the cell block terrace. The other inmates began to scream and taunt Lyle. The cries of 'Dead man walking' and 'Say hi to Saint Peter for me' whistled through the cell block.

* * *

**08:00hrs to execution**

Lyle Green said inside his new cell, the 'Death house' it was nicknamed. The room wasn't much different to his old cell, but it was closer to the execution chamber. The shutter on the door slide open and the voice came from behind it.

"Last meal time, you've got 10 minutes to tell us what you want. I'll be back to back your order"

What to eat, I haven't even smelt a steak or a burger in 15 years. The lumpy shit they serve here is nothing compared to the thick 15lbs steaks my girl used to cook me up at home.

* * *

**07:00hrs to execution**

Aaron Cash and his guards stood outside the gas chamber.

"Check its air tight, gas doesn't mind who it kills" Cash remarked lightly.

The two guards inspected the inside of the gas chamber, they checked for holes, the chair and the seals on the large metal door. Once they were sure of no potential leaks they walked back out.

"All good sir, still don't understand why he chose this over lethal injection" The first guard said to Cash.

"Only he'll know that, damn inhuman way to die. I thought our grandparents fought the Nazi's so shit like this never happened again"

* * *

**Meanwhile**

When I told them I wanted gas over lethal injection they looked at me like I was a madman. They said no one has asked for it in 29 years. I've done the research; I'll be dead in around 8 minutes. I'll foam at the mouth, squirm and scream for my momma. To this day I still don't know what I chose the gas chamber.

05:00hrs to execution

The shutter door slid open again.

"Grubs up"

The plastic tray was passed through. Just like he asked for; steak, fries and tomato ketchup.

"Once your done Green, the priest will see you"

I don't care what he just said; I begin tucking into my steak. Wow the prison chefs can actually cook.

* * *

**04:00hrs to execution**

Aaron Cash pulled up next to the cell door for the priest. The aging holy man sat down, holding his bible.

"Are you religious my boy?"

"No"

"Are you ready?"

"To die?"

"To meet God"

"Listen, I don't mean to be rude by I ain't religious and I never have been. I understand you're here to comfort me, but it won't work. If there is a good and heaven, I know I'm going to hell anyway"

"I see, the religious aspect isn't all I do"

"You play baseball?"

"I'm a good listener"

"I've seen things in here that would make your toes curl"

"Try me"

* * *

**03:00hrs to execution**

Bruce Wayne sat in front of the Bat-Computer; his monitors were tuned into the channel 6 news.

(TV) "This is Vicki Vale outside Blackgate penitentiary, we are only hours away now from the execution of Lyles Green. The killer of three people in a store robbery that turned bad.

One of the victims, Joseph Convertino was an off duty GCPD officer. We have been told that Green has chosen death by gas. A method not used in 29 years. More updates to follow, back to Holly in the studio"

Bruce turned off the monitor and sat back in his chair. He remembered the night that he took Green down.

He was arrested and sentenced to death, but this isn't justice, this is murder. This isn't why he started his crusade, to have people put on death row. Bruce ran his hand through his hair and closed his eyes.

**02:00hrs to execution**

Why the fuck did I do it? Sure I needed the cash but that's no excuse. It can't be long now, feels like I've been in here forever. I've waited 15years and these final few hours seem like the longest. I just want it over with.

**01:00hrs to execution**

Lyle Green's son sat in front of the TV screen crying. His mom hadn't been home for 2 days, she was a heroin addict and a prostitute. So being gone was normal. The boy sat on his knees listening to the news report. His daddy was being killed and it was being played across the media like some sports spectacle.

**00:30hrs to execution**

Journalist and TV reporter Vicki Vale from being filtered through the numerous security precautions. The prison allowed journalists and the family of the victim and the prisoner to watch the execution.

No one from the Green family had shown up. Vale stood behind the one way glass mirror with his pen and pad ready. This was just another one of many executions she has witnessed.

* * *

**00:00hrs to execution**

Lyle Green was sitting down on the gas chamber chair. His arms and legs were strapped tightly to ensure he couldn't move. Aaron Cash who stood in front of Green asked him the last thing he would ever hear.

"If you have any last words, this is your time to speak son"

"No, just do it"

"Very well"

Cash and the guards left the room ready to carry out the killing. The guard poured the sulfuric acid down the tube that lead into a small tank directly bellow compartment that housed the cyanide capsules.

Cash then pulled the lever that dropped the cyanide capsules into the sulfuric acid. Thus the chemical reaction was started; hydrogen cyanide was created in the form of a gas. It spread around the gas chamber. Green couldn't hold his breath any longer and the deadly gas rushed into his mouth and down into his lungs.

Green squirmed violently in his chair. He felt like he was being strangled to death. Minutes later and it was down, the foaming from his mouth stopped and his body slumped. It was over.

Aaron Cash left the room and rushed to his office where he crashed down on his chair; he buried his face in his hands and began to cry. This wasn't what he signed up for. He was a cop, not an executioner.

* * *

**TBC:..**


End file.
